Air-cushion borne vehicle



United States Patent O 3,1956(s5 AEP-CUSE'N BRNE VEEEILE Nigel Wiekham Lewis, Swizzdon, am! Geefilrey Hugl'a Williams, Readling, England, assignors in Vierezs-Arm saengs (Engineers) Limited, Lenden, Englanol, a Eriiisl'1 cempany File Jan. 15, 1963, Sex. N0. 251,619 Claims prnrifiy, appiieatiun Great Britain, Fa 22, 1962, 2,329/62 2 Claims. (l. ESO7) This inven-tion relates -to vehicles adapted to ride 011 an air-cushion.

According t the present invention there is provicled a vehiele adapted to ride 011 an air-cushion formed oy forcing air through an opening in the underside 01" the vehicle body, there being a flexible skirt depending from the peripheral part cf t'ne underside of -the vehicle body for encircling tl1e air-cushion, tl1e skirt comprising a freut transversely extending part ancl two longitudinally extending side parts one on eael1 of the two opposite sicles of the venicle, 011e of Ihe transversely extencling parts being formed by a member extending aeross the vehicle ancl n1ounted on tl1e vehicle im rota'tion about a substantially horizontal axis, tl1e rotatable menaber being formed at least partly of flexible n1aterial so that it can deform in the event that it encounters tlze ground or an obstruction when tne vehicle is in motion.

For a netter understancling of the invention and t0 show how the saure may be carried int0 eiiect, reference Will DOW be made, by way of exarnple, t0 tl1e accornpanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a broken diagramznatic sectional elevaiion cf tl1e freut part of an air-cuslzion norme velriele, and

FIGURE 2 is a broken diagrammatic sectional ele- Vation of tl1e front part 0f another air-cushion vorne vehicle.

The vehicles of FZGURES 1 and 2 eacl1 have a body 1 -tl1at rides 011 an air-eushion 2, formecl by fercing air through openings in the underside cf the body l, such as the opening H, by means of a compressor 12 mounted in the opening 11 and driven by a motor 13 carried on the body 1. The cushion 2 is eneircled by a flexible skirt 14 Which depends from the underside cf the peripheral pa-rl of the vehicle body l. "Ehe two longitudinally extending side parts of the skirt are preierably formed in a manner as described in cornrnonly owned pending U.S. application Ser. N0. 252,451 filecl lanuary 18, 1963, according to Which tne side parts cf the skirt are each formed as a portien cf the length cf a band in the forn1 of a closed loop of fiatiened constructien With top and bottorn rllns extencling substantially horizontally. In accordance With one construetion disclosed in saicl application tl1e whole of each band lies in a sub stantially vertical plane, w'nile in another, the t0p run cf the band is substanally horizontal. The inner periphery cf eacl1 band is secured to a chain or belt extencling around spaced wheels and along upper and lower guides between the wheels. In a modified construction eael1 band may be provided with a slicle on its immer periphery which engages in a trank. In either ease the wheels 01 tl1e slide may be driven by suitable motor means.

In the veliiele of FIGURE 1 the front transversely extending part of tl1e sl irt is formed by a member 3 rotatable about a horizontal axis 4 and extending from one side cf die vehicle to -the other. The member 3 l1as an axle 5 on whien radially directed vanes 6 are mounted so that irre mernber 5 is in the fcrrn cf a addle wheel. The radially direeted vanes 6 are each of flexible material such es rubber or synthetic rubber and can Pal:eniseel .luly 20, 31965 be constructed in a manner similar to any of tne skir-t constructions described in any one of cornmonly owned co-pending U.S. applications Ser. N0. 210,451, filed luly 17, 1962, Ser. N0. 211,013, filed July 19, 1962 ancl Ser. N0. 215,713, filed August 8, 1962. These applicatons disclose skirt constructions of various form, such as various shapes of vertieally-extending interconneeted units, for example eorrugatecl units secured together ancl having concave inner snrfaces. These applications also disclose straight plain skirts and openings at tlie unerside of the vehicle through whicl1 air is foreed by a compressor or ropeller int0 the air cushlon. The axle 5 has its opposite ends supported in bearings (net shown) carried by the bocly l. The unclerside of Ihe body 1 ll'dS a recess 7 the Wall of which is centred on the axis 4. Tl1e recess i extencls from one side of the body 1 10 the other. The clearance between the tips 0f die vanes 6 and tl3e Wall of the recess '7 is maintained as small es practicable to minirnize loss cf air r'r0rn the eushion 2. Tbe rear transversely extending part of the skirt is formed by a mernber substantially identical to the mernber 3, this rear member being mountecl on the rear part of tne bocly 1 in a manner similar to the mounting of die mernber 3. The intendecl direction of motion 0f the v-ehicle is indicated by the arrow A. A motor (210t shown) is provided on fl:re body 1 for driving the mernber 3 in the direetion cf the arrow B, the correspencling rnember at the 1ear of the vehicle being drlven in the same direction as the mernber 3.

In operation of tl'1e vel1iele 0f FGUQE 1 i.t advanees in the direction A. The rnember 3 minimizes leakage of air forwardly fromm ihe cushion Z. The vanes -6, wnen Ihey are below tl1e axis 4, travel rearwarclly relative to tl1e vehiele bocly 1 so that whenever the lower vanes encounter an obstruction er tl1e greund over Whieh Cne vehiele is travelling the drag whicn such contact causes 011 the vehicle body ll is minimized.

lf desired the drive to t'ne member 3 and the eorresponding member at the rear cf Ehe vel1icle may be omittecl, these mernbers belng instead mounted for free rotation about their axes.

In the Vehiele 0f FIGURE 2 the front part 05 the slrirt is formed by a bag 3 of cylinclrieal form whien is inflated With air. Tl1e bag is cf flexible material such as rubber or synthetic rubber, tne dise parts wnieh elcse the opposite ends 0f the bag 8 being, carried 011 stub axles 9 mounted in bearings (not sn0wn) earrieci by tne body 1. The underside of tl1e bocly Zl l1as a recess 7 as in the vehicle 0f FIGURE 1 and in bis recess flexible tengues 10 are mounted, the tongues being directed towards the bag 8 te contaet same and form a s-eal between the surface 0f tl1e bag and the underside of tl1e body Il. T'ne rear part of the skirt er" the vehiele of FIGURE 2 is formed in like manner t0 the frent part.

In operation the vehicle 0f FEGURE 2 moves in fl1@ direction of the arrow C and whenever ihe bag 3 o1 the corresponding bag at the rear 0f t'l1e vehicle encounters the ground tl1e bag turns in the direetion incli cated by the arrow D. The bags rnay be mounted f0r 'ree rotation er a motor may be provided on the vehicle body 1 for driving the bags in the direction indicated by the arrow D.

lt Will be understood that in both tl1e embodirnents described above the rotatable rnembers, apart from iheir axles, are of flexible materlal so that tl1e mernbers can be 1eadily deforrned in the event tl1at they encounter the gesund or an obstruction when tl1e vehiele is in motion.

We claim:

1. An air-cushion vehicle eomprising a bocly, a flexible skirt depending from the periphery oi tl1e underside of tl1e vehicle body, thereby defining an air-cushion space, il1e bottom of tl1e skirt being ordinarily clear of the surface over Wl1ich the vehicle travels, said skirt having a freut transversely extending part, a rear transversely extending part, and t wo longitudinally extending side parts, one of said side parts arranged on each sicle of I'ne vehicle, means independent of said transversely-extending parts and carried on said body for forcing air into said space, at least one cf said transversely extending parts being formed by a rotatable member extending across the vehicle and mounted 011 the vehicle bedy for free rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, Said rotatable member carrying flexible, radially direeted vanes, the underside of the vel1icle bOdy being formed With a transversely extending recess having an arcuate Wall, Ihe clearance between said rotatable member and said Wall being such that air lass therebetween is minimized.

Z. An air-cushion vehicle comprising a body, a flexible skirt depending from the periphery cf the underside of Ihe vebicle body, thereby defining an air-cushion space, the bottom of the skirt being ordinarily clear of the surfa ie over whicn the vehicle travels, said sldrt having a front tranversely extencling part, a rear transversely extencling part, and two longitudinally extending side Parts, one of said side parts arranged on each side cf tl1e vehicle, means independent of said transversely-ex- =tendingparts and carried on said body for forcing air into said space, at least one cf said transversely extending parts being formed by a rotatable member extensiing across the vehicle and mounted on the vehicle body f0r free rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said rotatable memberbeing in the form 01 a flexible cylinder bag infiated with air, the underside of the vehicle body being formed With a transversely extending recess having an arcuate Wall, a plurality' cf flexible tongues carried by said Wall and directed towards -the bag for cooperation therewith to seal the gap between the rotatable member and the recess.

Referenees C=ied by the Examina UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,077,174 2/63 Cockerell 114-67 FOREIGN PATENTS 136,636 3/61 Russia. 860,781 2/61 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Aviation Week, July 6, 1959, pages 115-116.

FERGUS s. MIDDLETON, Primafy Examz'fier. MILTON BUCHLER, Examz'rzer. 

1. AN AIR-CUSHION VEHICLE COMPRISING A BODY, A FLEXIBLE SKIRT DEPENDING FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE BODY, THEREBY DEFINING AN AIR-CUSHION SPACE, THE BOTTOM OF THE SKIRT BEING ORDINARILY CLEAR OF THE SURFACE OVER WHICH THE VEHICLE TRAVELS, SAID SKIRT HAVING A FRONT TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING PART, A REAR TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING PART, AND TWO LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDE PARTS, ONE OF SAID SIDE PARTS ARRANGED ON EACH SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, MEANS INDEPENDENT OF SAID TRANSVERSELY-EXTENDING PARTS AND CARRIED ON SAID BODY FOR FORCING AIR INTO SAID SPACE, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING PARTS BEIG FORMED BY A ROTATABLE MEMBER EXTENDING ACROSS THE VEHICLE AND MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE BODY FOR FREE ROTATION ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS, SAID ROTATABLE MEMER CARRYING FLEXIBLE, RADIALLY DIRECTED VANES, THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE BODY BEING FORMED WITH A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING RECESS HAVING AN ARCUATE WALL, THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER AND SAID WALL BEING SUCH THAT AIR LOSS THEREBETWEEN IS MINIMIZED. 